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Description

Watermark:

Diamonds with letters EACB (East African Currency Board) inside.

Avers:

HM The Queen Elizabeth II.

The first official photographic sitting with the new Queen was granted to the society photographer Dorothy Wilding. It took place on 26 February 1952, just twenty days after the accession. A total of fifty-nine photographs were taken by Wilding, showing The Queen dressed in a variety of gowns designed by Norman Hartnell and wearing jewellery including the Diamond Diadem. The photographs taken during this sitting were the basis of The Queen’s image on postage stamps from 1953 until 1971, as well as providing the official portrait of The Queen which was sent to every British embassy throughout the world. (Royal collection trust)

The Queen is wearing the George IV State Diadem. Made by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell (and likely designed by their designer, Philip Liebart) in 1820, the diadem features a set of 4 crosses pattée alternating with 4 bouquets of roses, thistles, and shamrocks. The motifs are set on a band of diamond scrollwork between two bands of pearls. Queen Alexandra had the diadem made smaller in 1902, reducing the top band of pearls from 86 to 81, and the bottom band from 94 to 88. The front cross is set with a 4 carat yellow diamond, and the piece features 1,333 diamonds in all. (Sartorial Splendor)

The necklace worn by The Queen, of diamond flowers and leaves, was a wedding present from Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar. The necklace was originally crafted in 1930s by Cartier. It was a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II, who was still a princess, on her wedding to Prince Philip from the Last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan in 1947. The Nizam of Hyderabad asked the Queen to choose two pieces from Cartier to mark her wedding, and she chose a tiara and a matching necklace based on an English rose.

The necklace was made by Cartier with 38 diamonds, with a diamond-encrusted snap. It has a detachable double-drop pendant, made of 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped drop, forms the pave-set center of the necklace. The design was based on English roses.

Pair of pearl drop earrings, made circa 1947.

The pearls used to create these earrings were a wedding present to Princess Elizabeth in 1947 from the Sheikh of Bahrain. The diamonds used in the earrings use a variety of modern cuts. (A Royal Wedding 1947)

This engraving, used only on the notes of the East African Currency Board, is distinct because of the depiction of the eyes of Her Majesty. Appearing slightly more closed than on the other varieties of this portrait, Her eyes seem to be fixed on an object in the distance. (Peter Symes)

On left side, behind serial number, presumably, is a branch of African oil palm.

Denomination is on right side. In center by words in English, Arabic (Hyderabad) and Gujarati.

In the top corners denomination by numbers in Arabic (Hyderabad).

Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

In the bottom corners are the denomination numerals in Gujarati language.

Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language native to the west Indian region of Gujarat. It is part of the greater Indo-European language family. Gujarati is descended from Old Gujarati (c. 1100-1500 AD), which is also the ancestor of modern Rajasthani. In India, it is the chief language in the state of Gujarat, as well as an official language in the union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Revers:

The Emblem of East Africa.

A walking lion, on the background is Mount Kenya.

According to Lakier, the lion is a symbol of strength, courage and generosity.

Alexander Borisovich Lakier (1825-1870) was a Russian historian of German descent who was interested in heraldry.

It is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 meters (17,057 ft.)), Nelion (5,188 meters (17,021 ft.)) and Point Lenana (4,985 meters (16,355 ft.)). Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around 150 kilometers (93 mi.) north-northeast of the capital Nairobi. Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.

Comments:

By the beginning of XX century, when the colonial division of Africa between the European powers ended, the British authorities were faced with the need to introduce in the territory of the newly formed colonies of its own currency. Originally African possessions crowns were divided into three currency areas: British East Africa , West Africa and South Africa. The structure of British West Africa, created in 1907 included Gambia, Sierra - Leone, Nigeria and the Gold Coast (now Ghana).

In the British East Africa were included the territory of modern states such as Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Tanzania (Tanganyika) and Zanzibar.